


A Menagerie of Little Monsters

by GythaOgg



Series: Cornucopia, SC [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adorable, Alternate Universe - Daycare, Babies love Dean, Baby creatures, Baby sasquatches love kitties, Daycare, Dean Winchester is Good With Children, Dean makes chicken pot pie, F/M, Fluff, Good Cook Dean Winchester, M/M, Protective Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 07:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18493804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GythaOgg/pseuds/GythaOgg
Summary: No conflict, no intrigue, no angst. This is purely adorable fluff. Dean and Sam visit the local daycare center. Dean cuddles cute baby creatures and considers what his future might hold. (Dean also makes chicken pot pie, because I was making it when I wrote this. It was delicious.)





	A Menagerie of Little Monsters

                One thing Dean will never get over, is how nice the weather is, here. It’s almost Thanksgiving, and Dean hasn’t even broken out his leather jacket yet. Everyone says they rarely get snow, and it almost never gets below freezing, during the day. Hell, they had dinner on the porch at the Roadhouse last night! No way could you eat outdoors in November in Kansas. Of course, the boys have been to the South in November before, but most of their time on cases was spent indoors, so the weather really only mattered for driving conditions. Now that they had leisure time, it was nice to be able to enjoy it outside.

                The garage was slow this afternoon, so Bobby had kicked Dean out a little early. He’d headed home to shower and change, then drove over to the Zootique to get Sam. He was still early, but he figured he could always play with some of the animals, while he waited for Sam’s shift to end. Once Cas had cured his allergy, Dean had made friends with a few of the shelter residents. Turned out, cats were pretty cool, when you weren’t sneezing your head off.

                When Dean walked in, he was surprised to see that the lobby was mostly empty. Sara Volantes and Max were at the front desk, but they were just sitting there, talking. There was one customer sitting on the groomer side, reading a book, but that was it. Dean walked up to the counter, wiggling his fingers in a wave. “Hey Max. Hi Sara. How’s it goin?” Sara grinned at him and waved back, while Max climbed up on top of the counter to high-five Dean. Today, the raccoon was in blue jeans and a white t-shirt, with a brown/white/beige flannel on top. The guy had quite a wardrobe, and it always made Dean smile to see his stylish little outfits. He tried not to comment on it; after all, Max was a full-grown adult, and probably wouldn’t appreciate being called ‘cute’. It wasn’t his fault he was 2’ tall, but dammit, he was adorable. “Slow day?” he asked. Max threw his paws up in the air, in a gesture of helplessness. “Tuesdays are always a ghost town. What can ya do?”

                Sara opened her mouth to say something, but the kennel door opened, and Sam walked out with Mike Boyce. Mike reached out one giant, furry hand. “Dean! How are ya?” In one arm, Mike held his baby boy, fluffy and cuddly as ever, one finger in his mouth, and eyes wide, as he stared at Dean. Dean shook Mike’s hand, then poked the baby’s belly, tickling him. “Nice to see you, Mike. Hiya, Brandon!” The little Sasquatch giggled, squirming, then reached out his arms, flapping his hands at Dean. “Aww, he likes you! You wanna go see Dean?” Mike cooed. He turned Brandon in his arms, so he could hand him off. Dean flushed, embarrassed to be so pleased by the approval of a random baby, but hey, he’d always been good with kids. He took the tiny Sasquatch, settling him in the crook of one arm and perched on his hip. “How’s it goin, little man?” he asked, smoothing Brandon’s hair back from his face. “Keeey!” sputtered Brandon, suddenly excited. Dean glanced up at Mike, who laughed, as Sam explained. “We just came from visiting the kennels, and apparently Brandon LOVES kitties.” On cue, the baby bounced up and down in Dean’s arm, squealing, “Keeey!”, and Mike groaned. “I worked here for four years, and managed not to adopt anybody. I leave, and just watch – now I’m gonna end up with a C-A-T.”

                Dean turned to Sam and asked if his shift was up yet. “Actually, Mike’s gonna bring Brandon up the street to the daycare, so he can meet some of the other babies. I was gonna walk over with him, to say hi to Zomo. You wanna come?” Dean glanced down at Brandon, who was now snuggled up to the hunter’s shoulder, sucking his thumb. “Yeah, sure. Wouldn’t wanna disrupt this little guy.”

                The three of them said goodbye to Sara and Max, and wandered up the street. About two blocks up, they came to Little Menagerie Daycare. It was bright and colorful, and clearly designed with little kids in mind. They came in through the front office, a small lobby area with a few chairs in various sizes, a low table full of coloring books, and a receptionist’s desk. Mike spoke with the receptionist briefly, then they all signed in, and headed down the hall. From there, they entered an oversized classroom, sectioned off by different flooring. There was a big carpeted area, a section with thick rubber mats, a smaller tiled area that looked like a play kitchen, and a section of Astroturf, off in one corner. Everything was durable plastic, or cushions, or rubber, and most of it came up to Dean’s knees. Aside from the teacher’s desk in the back, pretty much everything was pint-sized. There were tiny plastic chairs, little tables, and miniature beanbag seats. There was even a series of small play-house and store facades along one wall, mimicking Main Street. Another wall featured a colorful mural of cheerful animals, supernatural creatures, and human-looking kids, peeking over a ramshackle fence. As they moved through the room, they could see another, smaller room to one side, with yoga mats, cribs, and a pocket door, along with a long window opening onto the main room. A door next to Zomo’s desk led to a fenced-in yard, decked out with low plastic jungle gyms, a treehouse set 2’ off the ground, a little obstacle course, slides, swings, and picnic tables, all visible through another large window in the back wall.

                Dean stared around the daycare, and found himself wishing he could have brought Sammy to a place like this, when they were kids. Brandon was looking around, fascinated, and Dean hugged the furry baby in his arms, bouncing him to make him giggle. Mike came up to bring Brandon over to Zomo, and Dean looked around the room again, this time observing the kids. There were several human-looking children, mostly 3 or 4 years old. One of them, he recognized as Gwynn’s son Ewen, sitting on a beanbag chair, singing to himself and playing with a stuffed animal. There were also a few distinctly non-human kids. There was a little boy with bat wings and purple-gray skin, building a Lego castle with a little human-looking girl, who had olive skin and long, wavy, brown hair. A little boy, maybe 2 years old, came toddling out of the bathroom, dragging a fleece blanky with him. Dean was certain he must be an elf, based on the fuchsia tufts of hair sticking up over his tiny, pointed ears. A few feet away, there was a middle-aged lady with shimmering, peach-colored wings, reading to two baby girls. One looked human, and Dean thought she might be Brielle, Gwynn’s youngest child. All the selkies had the biggest, soulful brown eyes, and this little girl fit the bill. The other infant had golden skin, wavy black hair, and one eye, right in the center of her little forehead. She was clinging to the winged lady reading the book, and she looked sleepy.

                Dean turned to Sam. His brother was smiling softly at all the kids, but had his hands stuffed into his pockets and looked a little awkward. “I remember when you were this age,” Dean said. Sam’s eyebrows rose. “Yeah? Me too. I sure as h . . . uhh, heck don’t remember any place like this, though.” He paused, looking thoughtfully at his brother. “But you made it fun.” Sam paused again, nodding. “You took good care of me, Dean; I hope you know that.” Dean looked away, bashfully elbowing Sam. “Yeah, you turned out okay, I guess.”

                Dean looked over at the lady reading to the babies, and saw that Zomo had brought Mike and Brandon over to her. “So, why’d we bring the little fluffball down here, anyway? Are they gonna enroll him?” he asked Sam, quietly. “Yeah, I think Mike just wanted to make sure there were a few other kids Brandon’s age, and check the place out, but they want him to get used to socializing with other little kids. Apparently, a lot of the kids in town do daycare part time, so they grow up learning to share, and work together, and be inclusive, way before they start school.”

                There was a tug on Dean’s pant leg, and he looked down to see a toddler in overalls, pulling on his jeans. “What’s up, buddy?” Dean asked, his voice a little higher than normal, a little gentler. The boy looked glassy-eyed and pouty, like he might start to cry, and he stretched his chubby arms up towards the ceiling, in the universal sign for “up”. Dean was already leaning over, when he heard Sam voice an uncertain, “uhhhh . . . “. Dean stood up with the kid in his arms, one eyebrow raised at the worried look on his little brother’s face. “Dean, you don’t even know that kid,” Sam began, but Dean shut him down with a glower. “It takes a village, Sam.“ He turned his attention back to the child in overalls. “You OK, little guy?” he asked, rocking him back and forth a bit. The kid shook his head, rubbing his eyes with one tiny fist. “What’s wrong?” The boy patted the top of his head and whimpered. “My hawnth huwrt.” Dean moved his tiny hand out of the way and looked closer at the toddler’s head. Nestled in his fluffy blonde hair were two little . . . lumps, directly above his temples. Dean pushed the hair aside, and very carefully brushed a thumb against one of the lumps. It was hard, and the skin didn’t seem in imminent danger of splitting open, so Dean rubbed a tentative circle around the bump. The little boy’s eyes closed and all the tension seemed to leave his tiny shoulders all at once. Holding the kid close in one arm, Dean moved his free hand over to the other lump, repeating the circles. “Does that help?” he asked the child, who was now leaning his head against Dean’s shoulder. The boy nodded, sighing.

                Sam was still staring at them, looking a bit alarmed, but Dean just shrugged, and continued to massage the little guy’s scalp. After a minute, a 20-something blonde came over. They had short hair, a square jaw, androgynous clothes, and pastel blue nail polish. Dean honestly wasn’t sure if it was a guy or a girl, but decided it really didn’t matter. “Hey,” offered the blonde. “I see you’ve met Christopher. His horns are just starting to come in, so they’re sore a lot. You’re a natural!” The person was several inches shorter than Dean, and he grinned down at them. “Well, he just came right up to me and asked for help, so . . . “ The blonde beamed at Dean. “It’s like teething; ice and massage are a big help. You’re doing great. I’m Clover, by the way.” Dean pulled his hand from Christopher’s head, in order to shake Clover’s hand, which caused the toddler to whine. “Dean Winchester, nice to meet you. This is my brother, Sam,” he answered, then glanced back to Christopher. “I know, honey, I know. One sec.” Sam and Clover shook hands, but Clover quickly returned his attention to Dean. “Any chance you’re looking for a job? We’ll be needing help soon, and you’re obviously good with little ones.” Dean blushed and grimaced. “Oh, nahh. I have a job, down at the garage. Thanks, though – that’s really nice.” Clover gave him a mysterious smile. “Well, I don’t believe in accidents, so I’m sure we met for a reason. If you ever change your mind about career paths, you just let me know.”

                Dean wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he just nodded a little awkwardly. Fortunately, Mike came back with Brandon, just then. “Hey, you made a little friend!” he laughed. “Dean’s a baby magnet. Kids always love him,” Sam interjected, but his smile was soft and affectionate. Sam had never been terribly comfortable with small children, but Dean was always amazing with them, and watching him be so unabashedly sweet and loving made Sam’s heart nearly burst. He sometimes went years without seeing Dean let his walls down like this, and he was suddenly tempted to wrap his brother up in a big hug. (He knew Dean would hate it, but he was still tempted.)

                Baby Brandon soon noticed that Dean had a child in his arms, and he leaned forward, studying Christopher intently. He watched Dean’s thumb move in circles around the nascent horns for a few seconds, and made a mournful little whimper, reaching out his own furry little arm. “Gentle, Brandon,” Mike warned quietly, but he let Brandon reach over and pet the little boy, very carefully, on the top of his head, right between his lumps. Christopher tried to watch the path of the Sasquatch’s arm, and went a little cross-eyed at the apex. He smiled a sleepy little smile when the baby patted his head, and the two tykes blinked at each other for a bit. Finally, Clover leaned in. “Christopher, are you sleepy? Is it nap time?” The little blonde nodded and glanced from Dean to Sam to Clover, clearly not sure who had asked the question. Clover reached out and lifted him out of Dean’s arm, settling him against their shoulder. “It was nice meeting you guys, but nap-time calls. Good to see you, Mike,” they said, in a hushed voice, turning towards the back of the classroom. Dean, Sam, and Mike said goodbye to Zomo, who was now playing dress-up with Ewen and the little batwing kid, and headed back out the door.

                “That place is fantastic, man!” Dean exclaimed, as they reached the sidewalk. “Yeah, it’s really nice. They didn’t open until Melissa was in 2nd grade, so I’ve never actually been in there before,” Mike answered. He paused, glancing over at Dean. “Hey, you were awesome with that little Aren kid. You ever thought about having your own little ones?” Dean tripped over nothing, scuffing his foot on the pavement to steady himself. “What? Noooo. Been a hunter since I was 16; that life doesn’t exactly lend itself to settling down and raising kids.” He could feel Mike staring at him, but he didn’t turn his face to look. “Yeah,” Mike began, “but you’re retired now. You’re here. You’re safe. You have a house and a job and neighbors . . . and a boyfriend”. That did get Dean to turn his head, sharply, and Mike chuckled at him. “Small town, Dean.” Dean shook his head and grumbled. “I don’t even know for sure if he’s . . . we haven’t actually had the Boyfriend Discussion yet.” This time, Mike’s chuckle was joined by Sam’s, and Dean looked up again. “What’s so funny about that?” he demanded. Mike gave him a big, toothy grin. “Castiel’s been living here for years, and in all that time, he’s never dated anyone. At all. If you guys are spending this much time together, then trust me, he’s taking it seriously. Besides, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. You’re boyfriends.” Dean smiled down at the sidewalk, oblivious to the sappy look Sam was giving him.

                “Hey,” Dean exclaimed a moment later, remembering something else Mike had said. “You called the little boy at the daycare center Erin. I thought his name was Christopher?” “Oh, no. Not his name,” Mike replied. “His species. He’s an Aren. A-R-E-N. Basically a stronger–than–average human with very dense bones, and ram’s horns. I take it you haven’t met Sydney and Jenna yet?” Dean shook his head. “They’re Christopher’s moms – Sydney’s an Aren and Jenna’s a human. They’re awesome; Sydney is Melissa’s favorite teacher. Very cool ladies.”

                They reached the Impala, and said their goodbyes to Mike and Brandon, heading home. When they got there, Sam curled up on the couch to text Jess, and Dean headed to the kitchen. He chopped up celery and carrots, cut up chicken, and rolled out dough, but it was all done on autopilot. The whole time, he was preoccupied with thoughts of little kids, family, and domestic stuff, and by the time the chicken pot pie went in the oven, Dean had no idea if he’d even made it correctly. As he pulled out bowls and spoons, his phone buzzed in his pocket, with a text notification from Cas.

 

C: Hello Dean

D: Hey Cas! How are you?

C: I’m well, thank you. How are things with you?

D: Good, just waiting for dinner to cook. I made chicken pot pie. 

C: That sounds delicious.

D: Well, we’ll see about that in 20 minutes

C: What are you doing tomorrow night?

D: No plans. Why - what did u have in mind?

C: How do you feel about trivia night at the Rathskellar?

D:

D:

D: Are u sure you’d want me on ur team for trivia, Cas? I’m a high school dropout. Sammy’s the smart one.

C: You were also the most successful hunter in the US, which means you have quite a bit of practical knowledge. And you know a lot of pop culture references.

D: OK that’s true

C: Your brother is welcome to come, as well.

D: Oh. So . . . not a date, then?

C: Definitely a date. But Jessandriel is also on my trivia team, so . . .

D: I like your style, Cas. We’ll be there. What time?

C: Wonderful – it’s 7pm tomorrow.

D: Awesome, I can’t wait

C: I look forward to seeing you. Enjoy your dinner, Dean.

D: Thanks Cas. See you tomorrow!

 

                Dean checked the timer on the stove, then sat back down, aware that he now wore a rather goofy grin on his face. He was a little intimidated by the idea of a trivia contest, but it sounded like fun. Also, he couldn’t help feeling a bit warm and gooey that Sammy would be coming along, basically going on a double-date with Dean and his  . . . boyfriend? Should he ask Cas about the boyfriend thing? They’d never gone much further than kissing, but they had gone out on several dates, by now. They’d been out to lunch and dinner a couple of times, they’d done karaoke at the Rathskellar once, and gone to the movies. They texted back and forth a lot, though they’d kept that pretty PG, so far. He was pretty sure Cas wasn’t seeing anyone else, and he was damn sure he wasn’t interested in anyone else. Dean had never been good with romantic relationships, but Cas was different from anyone else he’d ever known. They just clicked, as if they’d known each other for years. As if they shared some profound bond.

                Dean fell into a brief daydream about sitting in a park, holding Cas’s hand, and watching a little girl with green eyes and freckles climb a rope wall. When the timer on the stove beeped, he blinked, shaking his head and laughing at himself. “Gettin’ way ahead of yourself there, Winchester. Slow your roll,” he muttered, and pulled the casserole dish out of the oven.

               

               

 


End file.
